A Girl Unknown to Love
by Amelia Wingheart
Summary: A girl follows her best friend in an attempt to see just where she's going, only to end up being stuck in an unknown time filled with demons, priestesses, and other strange creatures.
1. Worrying for a Friend

"I guess it's the easiest thing to do in a situation like this." Rei, a 15 year old girl says as she watches her friend, Kagome, walk back into the classroom with a bandage on her stomach. "What happened to you? You get run over by a bus?" Rei asks Kagome later on that same day as they're walking home together.

"No…I fell down some steps and cut my side on the cement when I landed." Kagome says with a strange look on her face.

"How about you don't lie to me? We've been friends for years, I can tell when you're not telling the truth." Rei says. Kagome's eyes widen. "What, do you take me for a fool?" She demands, stepping in front of Kagome to make her stop walking. Kagome shakes her head.

"I would never DREAM of lying to you! I mean, if I did that, I'd…um…" Kagome places a finger against her chin. "Okay, I'm lost for words." She says with a shrug. Rei shakes her head.

"You know….you can always tell me if there's something wrong, don't you?" Rei asks, refusing to even look at Kagome, who looks at Rei with sad eyes.

"I wish I could…but this is something that I've been sworn to secrecy about…" Kagome says as she lowers her head in shame.

"Hey, don't worry about it!" Rei says, looking at Kagome with a fake smile. "It's not like it's that big of a deal. I'll live with not knowing." She says as she turns to walk in a different direction. "Well, I have some errands I have to run, so….I guess I'll see you whenever." Rei says as she runs off in a random direction. Kagome lowers her head as she watches her best friend run off.

"I wish I could tell you, believe me….It's just that if I did….you wouldn't believe me…" Kagome whispers as she turns to walk up the steps to her house/ shrine.

The next morning, Rei walks into the classroom, only to see Kagome gone.

_*I wonder what's up? She's never been gone this many days in the past years.*_ Rei wonders as she looks up at the chalk board. _*I know!*_ Rei mentally shouts as her eyes widen. _*I'll go see her and wish her well after school…besides…I feel bad about that stupid fight we had yesterday.*_ Rei says as she lays her head back on the desk.

The day goes on with it being overall very boring without Kagome being there. Rei sighs as she shuts her locker door, and walks toward the front doors. She raises an eyebrow when some girls step in front of her.

"What do you want?" Rei demands, glaring at the girls. They take a small step back

"We don't want you here, convict! So, why don't you just find somewhere else to occupy your time!" The girl shouts, pointing toward Rei, who merely glares at her.

"You know, I'm REALLY not in the mood for this right now…" Rei says, glaring at the girls like she wants them to fall over dead.

"Well, then why don't you just leave!" The girl's shouts in unison as they all take a step back from the malice that's coming off Rei in waves.

"I was just about to do so before you bitches came and ruined my peaceful thinking process on how I'm planning on making your lives hell started tomorrow." Rei says, folding her hands in front of her.

"Damn!" The girls shout as they spin around. "We'll get you eventually!" They shout as they run off as fast as they can. Rei smiles sadly.

"Damn idiots." She curses as she walks out the front doors. She walks toward Kagome's house. When she gets there, she walks up the hundred or so steps, and stops underneath the shrine door.

_*I should really count those damn steps one day.*_ She says as she looks down at the steps. She sighs as she turns around, and walks the remaining distance to the house.

"Hello?" Kagome's little brother, Sota questions as he pulls the door open. Rei smiles.

"Oh! Rei!" Sota says, smiling.

"What's this I hear? Rei's here?" Kagome's mother asks as she walks around the wall. Rei kneels on the front step.

"Hello, Mrs. Higurashi." Rei says, bowing her head.

"It's very nice to see you." Kagome's mom says with a smile, which Rei returns.

"I came to see if Kagome's feeling a little better. She wasn't in school today, so…" Rei begins, but stops when she runs out of words to say.

"She's terribly sick. Yes, she has Pad-foot anitis." Kagome's grandfather says as he walks around the corner. Rei's eyes furrow in confusion.

"What's that? I've never even heard of such a thing." Rei says as she looks at Kagome's grandfather, who merely smiles like he knows some great secret.

"It's a rare form of illness. Yes, it only affects one out of every 1,000 people." Kagome's grandfather rants as he walks toward the kitchen.

"Well, is it all right if I go and see her?" Rei asks, looking at Kagome's mother.

"I'm afraid not, dear. It's terribly contagious, and I'm sure Kagome wouldn't want you to catch i-" At that very moment, Kagome comes running through the door.

"Mom! I need more medical oint-" Kagome shouts before freezing when she sees Rei.

"K…..Kagome?" Rei asks, looking at her with a hurt look.

"Um…hey, Rei. What are you doing here?" Kagome says, looking just a tad bit uncomfortable.

"She came to see how you're doing. Isn't that nice, Kagome?" Sota says, grinning. Kagome turns to glare at her little brother.

"You stay out of this." Kagome shouts. Rei sighs as she stands up. Kagome looks at her. "Listen, Re-" Kagome's eyes widen when Rei refuses to look at her. She spins around as Rei walks out the door.


	2. The Mystery that is Rei

"Well, guess she's a little mad at you." Sota says, grabbing a cookie, and popping it into his mouth.

"Shut up!" Kagome shouts as she runs out the door after Rei. She looks around when she doesn't see her. "Rei!" She shouts.

Almost an hour goes by without Kagome being able to find Rei. She sighs as she plops to the ground, breathing hard.

"I can't believe she could disappear so thorough." Kagome says in between gasps for air. Suddenly, her eyes widen. "I know where she is!" Kagome shouts as she spins around, and runs toward a nearby park.

When she gets to a huge tree, she looks up into it to see none other than Rei.

"What do you want?" Rei demands, glaring down at Kagome, who kicks at the ground.

"I'm sorry for lying to you, Rei. I really didn't want to….it's just that I didn't believe that you'd believe me if I told you." Kagome says, still looking at the ground.

"And tell me." Rei says as she sits up. "When have I EVER not believed you?" Rei demands, glaring down at Kagome.

"You always have….it's just that I was so worried….oh, this is stupid!" She looks up at Rei. "You want to know? Then follow me!" Kagome says as she walks away. Shortly after, she hears someone jump to the ground, and follow her. She smiles inwardly.

They get to Kagome's house, and walk into the shrine. Rei looks at Kagome in confusion.

"What are we doing in here?" Rei asks, looking around the inside of the shrine.

"I'm going to tell you where I've been going when I'm not at school." Kagome says, turning around to smile at Rei in a worried way.

"Okay, shoot." Rei says as she takes a seat on the step.

"Well, I've been going to feudal Japan." Kagome says simply. Rei looks at her for a moment.

"You're serious, aren't you?" Rei questions. Kagome nods. "Okay, well….that's odd." Rei says. Kagome sighs.

"So….you don't have to deal with me anymore if you don't want to..you can just act like we've never met." Kagome says, turning to walk out of the shrine. Rei looks at her in confusion.

"What one earth are you talking about?" Rei demands, sounding insulted.

"You're going to leave me now, aren't you?" Kagome asks, looking at Rei, who smiles warmly as she walks up to Kagome and hugs her.

"You know, you're not meant to be so absorbed in what other people say, Scardy Cat." Rei says, smiling. Kagome pulls out of the embrace, and glares at Rei.

"I'm insulted!" Kagome shouts. Rei shrugs as she pokes Kagome in the head.

"Well, in that case…" Suddenly, Kagome trips over something, and both of them fall down the well. Kagome's eyes widen at the same time as Rei when the blue aura starts to surround them. "What the hell!" Rei shouts as they land on the bottom of the well. "What was that?" Rei demands. Kagome looks at her with wide eyes.

"You…can pass through the well." Kagome says as though she's completely confused.

"Pass though the….well?" Rei questions as she look toward the sky to see that the sun is shining down on them. "Okay, this is weird." Rei says as she sighs, and starts to climb up the wall. Kagome looks at her in confusion.

"Are you going to leave me yet?" Kagome asks in a light voice. Rei sighs as she shakes her head.

"I really wish you would get over yourself!" Rei says, shaking her head. "I'm not going anywhere." She says, smiling. Kagome smiles back.

"That's a relief. I truly thought this would have been the thing that triggered your inability to stay with me." Kagome says, smiling. Suddenly, she's pulled up out of the well.

"What the hell!" Rei shouts, completely surprised by the guy standing at the top of the well. She glares at him when he looks down at her.

"Who's your friend, Kagome?" The guy asks. Kagome smiles.

"This is my close friend, Rei. We go to school together." Kagome says. The guy looks at her in confusion. "She came through the well with me." Kagome says, pointing her pointer finger toward the sky. The guy nods as he goes to reach into the well again. Rei moves away from his hand.

"Get your hand the hell away from me! I'll not have you touching me!" Rei demands, glaring daggers at the guy, who pulls his hand back, looking a little surprised and angry.

"What the hell is your problem, woman?" The guy demands. Rei takes a step forward, and swiftly climbs out of the well with no trouble. As soon as her feet land on the ground, she takes a couple menacing steps toward the guy, only to stop when Kagome steps in front of her.

"Rei, this is Inuyasha. He's a friend of mine. Inuyasha, this is Rei, also a friend of mine." Kagome says, motioning in between the two of them. Rei glares at Inuyasha even more.

"Well, since you're a friend of Kagome's, I guess I'll have to put up with you." Inuyasha says, reaching his hand across the gap between them. Rei glares at it until he pulls it back. She takes three steps back before walking away. Inuyasha glares at her as she walks into the woods.

"Sorry, Inuyasha. I forgot to mention that Rei doesn't trust men." Kagome says, sighing. Inuyasha look at her in confusion.

"She doesn't trust...men?" Inuyasha asks. Kagome shakes her head. "Why?" He demands. Kagome shakes her head.

"She's never told anyone. The only thing that we really know about her is that she got in trouble with the law a few years back, and moved to our city to start over." Kagome says, looking in the direction Rei had disappeared in. "Besides that, her past is pretty much a mystery." She says. Inuyasha looks at her with a critical look.

"And how...may I ask, did you get to be friends with such a dangerous person?" Inuyasha questions. Kagome looks at him with a serious look.

"She saved me." Kagome says simply.


	3. Meeting the Gang

Meanwhile, Rei's walking through the forest, muttering to herself.

"That asshole actually thought he was going to TOUCH me! Ha!" Rei mutters as she jumps into a tree, and sighs as she makes herself comfortable against the trunk. Within a few moments, she's completely out.

A few hours later, Kagome's walking around a clearing, looking up in trees. Inuyasha looks at her in confusion.

"What do you expect to see in the trees? Birds?" Inuyasha asks. Kagome shakes her head.

"No...Rei has a habit of falling asleep in the tree tops." Kagome says, looking at Inuyasha as his face turns into a mask of confusion.

"You mean that crazy woman actually SLEEPS in trees?" Inuyasha demands. Kagome glares at him.

"So? You do too!" Kagome says. Inuyasha shakes his head.

"Yeah, but I'm a demon...it's in my blood to sleep in the trees...in fact, that's where most dog demons sleep." Inuyasha says, shrugging. Kagome looks at him in surprise.

"Are you...serious!" Kagome questions, grinning. Inuyasha looks at her like she's lost her mind.

"Yes...I'm serious. Why would I not be?" He asks in a confused voice. Kagome grins.

"Well, you just told me something that you've never told me before. I did not know that about dog demons...wait! Do you mean that Sesshomaru does as well?" Kagome asks. Inuyasha nods. "Weird."

"Would the two of you just SHUT UP already? Trying to get some sleep here!" A familiar voice shouts from up a nearby tree. Kagome walks toward it. As soon as she gets next to the trunk, she looks up the tree to see Rei sitting on a branch about 2/3 of the way up the tree.

"Wow. That woman can really climb." Inuyasha says, standing next to Kagome, also looking up at Rei.

"SHUT UP, YOU STUPID MUTT!" Rei shouts. Inuyasha's eyes widen.

"What did you just...call me?" He questions. Rei looks over her branch at him.

"What did it sound like I called you, you mutt." She demands. Inuyasha growls as he jumps up the tree.

"Inuyasha! Get down here!" Kagome shouts. He simply ignores her, and lands on the branch that Rei is sitting on. She glares at him.

"You might want to get off my branch...NOW!" Rei shouts as she launches herself at him, knocking him off the branch with on push. He lands on the ground. As soon as he hits, he stands up, glaring up the tree at the woman standing on a branch, completely balanced.

"What the hell is your problem, woman! You're better in trees than most dog demons!" Inuyasha yells. Rei merely grins.

"I've been climbing trees for a VERY long time." She says as she sits down on the branch, kicking her feet back and forth. "Now tell me. What do you want?" She demands.

"It's not me that has something I want. It's Kagome." Inuyasha says, motioning toward Kagome. Rei's eyes widen.

"Kagome?" Rei mutters as she makes a swift move, pushing herself off the tree. Inuyasha runs around in a circle, getting ready to catch her, only to have her gracefully land on her feet a few feet away from where he's standing. "Sorry, I didn't see you past the idiot." Rei says, smiling. Kagome smiles back.

"No big deal...but hey?" Kagome asks. Rei looks at her with her head cocked to the side.

"What?" She asks. Kagome looks at her.

"Do you want to come meet everyone?" Kagome asks, smiling. Rei looks at her.

"Everyone?" Rei asks. Kagome nods. "Who is...everyone?" She asks.

"Miroku, the monk. Sango, the demon slayer. Kirara, the two-tailed cat. Shippo, the fox demon." Kagome explains. Rei sighs.

"Might as well." She says, but looks toward the opposite direction that Kagome's walking in.

"What is it, Rei?" Kagome asks, looking back at Rei.

"I...don't know. I feel like I'm being watched." Rei says. She turns to look at Kagome, and shakes her head. "It's probably just my imagination." Rei says, smiling. Kagome nods.

"Probably." She says as the three of them walk off in the direction of Kaede's village.

As the three of them walk into the village, Rei's eyes widen when she sees a little kid come running toward them, and latch onto Kagome's leg.

"Thank goodness you're back! We thought you'd never return!" The kid shouts. Rei takes a step back.

"I know...I needed to go back home to get some more medical supplies...um..." Kagome glances at the ground next to her. "Seems I've forgotten to bring it with me...whoops." Kagome says as an anime sweat drop appears on the side of her head.

"It's all because you brought this woman along with you." Inuyasha says, motioning toward Rei, who glares daggers at him.

"Would you...SHUT UP already! It's only been a few hours, and already I'm sick of your voice! How the hell does Kagome put up with it?" Rei demands. The kid looks at Rei with a worried expression.

"Why did you bring another priestess here?" The kid asks. Both Kagome and Inuyasha look at him in confusion.

"What are you talking about, Shippo? Rei isn't a priestess." Kagome says, smiling.

"But...she's got a really strong aura..." Shippo says, looking at Rei. He takes a step toward her, only to stop when she glares at him.

"Stay away from me." She demands.

"What's going on?" A female voice asks. They all look forward to see a girl with a huge boomerang sashed across her back walking with a guy in monk clothes.

"Kagome and Inuyasha brought a scary lady!" Shippo shouts, climbing onto the girls shoulder next to a small cat. Rei smiles as the cat looks at her with a cocked head. To everyone's surprised, the cat jumps off the girls shoulder, and walks toward Rei. When it gets in front of her, she bends down, only to have the cat climb into her arms.

"...wow. I've never known Kirara to like somebody that fast before." The girl says. Rei smiles as she goes to hand the cat back to the girl, only to have the cat refused to leave her. "Come on, Kirara. Time to go get something to eat." The girl says. The cat looks from the girl to Rei, and back again before jumping onto the girl's shoulder.

"Well, looks like Kirara trusts you." Kagome says, smiling. Rei turns to look at her.

"I don't think the kid likes me." Rei says, shaking her head as though she really doesn't care that much.

"Shippo? Don't worry about it. Give him some time, and he'll come around. Oh! I almost forgot to introduce everyone!" Kagome says. She motions from the girl to the guy. "This is Sango, and Miroku." She motions toward the cat. "That's Kirara." And lastly, to the kid. "And this is Shippo." Kagome says, smiling. Rei nods before walking toward a nearby tree. She jumps up into it, and closes her eyes. Sango's eyes widen when Kirara jumps out of her arms, and runs to the tree. She climbs up it, and cuddles into Rei's lap. The two of them slowly fall asleep.


	4. The Surprise Attack

Around three hours later, Rei wakes up, and yawns. She smiles when she sees Kirara laying across her chest.

"Hey little one…what did Kagome call you? …Kirara?" Rei says, petting the cat on the head. She meows, and leans into Rei's hand. "You're a cute thing." Rei says as she sits up. "Though I don't like that mutt." Rei says, shaking her head in irritation.

"You do know I can hear you, right?" A familiar male voice shouts from a nearby roof top. Rei looks toward it to see Inuyasha laying across the roof. She glares at him.

"What are you doing? Are you copying me?" Rei demands, getting to her feet while Kirara climbs to her shoulder. Inuyasha also gets to his feet on the roof, and the two of them glare at each other for nearly twenty minutes before someone walks out of the house, humming. Inuyasha raises his nose to the sky, and sniffs.

"Mmmm!" He says in a dreamy voice as he closes his eyes.

"What? Is eating that important to you?" Rei demands, folding her hands across her chest. Inuyasha turns to glare at her.

"When it's Kagome's cooking….yes!" Inuyasha says as he jumps to the ground, and smiles at Kagome.

"Are you coming down?" Kagome questions, looking at Rei after her and Inuyasha had talked for a while. Rei nods.

"Yeah, starved." Rei says as she jumps to the ground with a smile on her face. Inuyasha glares at her. "What is it, dog boy?" Rei demands, glaring at him with insulting eyes.

"What the hell are you so cheerful about?" Inuyasha demands. Rei looks at him in irritation.

"The fact that the best cook I've ever known has made me a meal!" Rei says, shaking her head as she walks by Inuyasha, and into the hut. As soon as she gets inside, the kid known as Shippo looks up at her with scared eyes, before running behind Sango.

"What in the world is wrong with you, Shippo?" Sango questions, looking behind her at the shaking child.

"The lady's scary!" Shippo says in a shaky voice. Miroku drags him out of his hiding place, and glares at him.

"You will apologize to the lady, now. That was very rude!" Miroku says, glaring at the kid.

"It's no big deal." Rei says, smiling slightly. All three of them look at her. "I seem to have that effect on lots of people." Rei says, shrugging offhandedly.

"That's still no excuse for being rude. Especially since he doesn't know anything about you." Sango says in a disappointed voice.

"I know she has a scary aura…" Shippo says in a quiet voice. Both Sango and Miroku look at Shippo in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" Miroku questions. Shippo looks at him in surprise.

"You mean you honestly don't sense anything?" Shippo demands, sounding surprised. Both Sango and Miroku shake their heads.

"Well, on a happier note, the food is done." Kagome says, smiling as she walks into the room, carrying a rock full of fish. As soon as Rei sees it, her stomach rebels. She covers her mouth, and runs out of the hut, making it to a bush just in time to throw up.

"What's wrong, Rei?" Kagome's voice asks after a few moments. Rei wipes her mouth before turning to look at her best friend.

"I'm not sure…I just don't feel that great…but it'll pass." Rei says, smiling reassuringly. Kagome's eyes suddenly widen as the wind picks up speed, whipping her hair back. The next thing she knows, there's around a hundred demons in the sky, looking down at the two of them.

"Um….Rei. I think we should get going." Kagome says in a quite voice as she tries to pull Rei out of the view of the demons, only to cause their attention to focus on Rei.

"There'ssss the demon we've been ssssearching for!" A snake like demon says in a menacing voice as it looks directly at Rei.

"She's not a demon! She's a human!" Kagome shouts, pulling Rei behind her. When she glances over her shoulder, she sees Rei clenching her stomach.

"Ugh….I don't feel so good…" Rei mutters, clenching her eyes shut. Kagome turns back to the demons.

"You sssssure about that, girl?" The demon questions, laughing evilly. Kagome glares at him.

"Of course I am! She's my friend!" Kagome shouts. The snake like demon flies a couple yards closer to the two.

"If sssshe'ssss a mere human, then why doessss sssshe sssmell like a demon?" The demon questions, looking at Kagome critically. "Get them!" The demon shouts. Around twenty of the demons fly at Kagome, only to have a bright light shoot in front of her. She shields her eyes from the sudden light, made that much stronger by it being nighttime. When she looks, she sees Rei standing in front of her, surrounded by all the demons, who've been killed, but what surprises her even more is that it doesn't look like her friend at all. Rei has warrior clothing. All her hair on her left side is braided with a metallic silver ribbon going through it. She has some kind of fluffy thing wrapped around her waist, along with her holding a sword. Rei looks over her shoulder at Kagome.

"Are you okay?" Rei asks in a worried voice as she looks at Kagome, who gasps when she sees the markings on Rei's face.

"What happened to you?" Kagome asks, stuttering in her confusion and amazement.

"KAGOME!" Inuyasha shouts as he runs into the clearing.

"You're a little late, mutt." Rei says, turning to glare at Inuyasha.

"What the hell!" Inuyasha demands, looking at Rei in confusion.

"I don't know…." Rei says, shaking her head. Inuyasha walks forward. He stops in front of her, and walks a circle around her.

"You're a dog demon…" Inuyasha says in a confused voice. "But I thought you came from the future…and in my knowledge, there are no demons in the future." Inuyasha says, shaking his head. Rei's eyes narrow, and he steps in her path to get to Kagome.

"What? Do you think I would risk my best friends safety?" Rei demands, sounding insulted.

"I don't know what you would do." Inuyasha says simply. The three of them hear people running toward them. When they turn, they see Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara. Kirara meows as soon as she sees Rei.

"Who the hell are you?" Miroku questions, taking a step in front of Sango. He raises his staff defensively. The two of them watch in confusion as Kirara jumps off Sango's shoulder, and runs toward Rei.

"Kirara!" Sango shouts, holding a hand out. They both freeze when they see the smile on Rei's face. "Hold on…the only one Kirara would do that to is someone she knows…" Sango says, watching as Kirara climbs into Rei's arms.

"Then she must be…" Miroku mutters, looking at Rei in surprise. They all watch as Rei walks over to a tree, and climbs up it. They stand there in shock as Rei falls asleep. As soon as she loses consciousness, her clothing reverts to what it was, and her marking disappear.

"Well, that was…interesting." Inuyasha mutters, shaking his head. They all walk back to the hut, and go to sleep.


	5. The Mate Challenge

They all wake up when they hear someone screaming. They run out to see Rei pinned to a tree, in her warrior clothing with Sesshomaru holding her there.

"Who are you, woman?" Sesshomaru demands. Rei glares at him.

"Just who the hell are you to demand such things from me?" Rei demands in a determined voice. Kagome takes a step forward, only to have Inuyasha grab a hold of her arm.

"But…" Kagome whispers. Inuyasha shakes his head, and motions for her to watch.

"Answer my question, or you will regret it." Sesshomaru says, tightening his hold on her neck. She merely looks into his eyes. "You sure have guts, don't you?" Sesshomaru says, grinning at the challenge in her eyes.

"Let me go, and fight like a man!" Rei shouts, grabbing a hold of his arm, and squeezing. Sesshomaru winces in pain.

"She actually made Sesshomaru wince in pain…" Inuyasha whispers, watching his brother's expression turn to one of anger.

"You, woman. Are asking for it." Sesshomaru says, glaring down at her. She merely grins.

"Well, shall we see just who is 'asking for it' as you so bluntly put it?" Rei asks, grinning in triumph. Sesshomaru looks at her in surprise before releasing her so she falls to the ground, but instead of landing on her butt, she lands on her feet, perfectly.

"Hm…" Sesshomaru mutters, looking at her with interest.

"Well, are we going to fight, or not?" Rei demands, getting into a defensive position. Sesshomaru grin as he tightens his grin on Tokijin, his fighting sword, but before he can draw it, Rei disappears. Sesshomaru stands up, and looks around, only to have his eyes widen when he feels the blade pressed against his throat.

"Well, I guess you're better than I thought." Sesshomaru says, looking over his shoulder at the woman perched on his shoulders.

"Thanks." Rei says, smiling at the complement. With a fluid motion, Sesshomaru swings around, bringing his blade up to an attack that would have cut Rei in half….had she not jumped off his back as though she could read his movements. Sesshomaru furrows his eyebrows in confusion. In yet another fluid motion, he does his most recently learned move, consisting of jumping in the air, and grabbing a hold of the opponent, while making them believe you're using your sword for the attack, he has her pinned against the tree. When Kagome goes to run toward Rei again, Inuyasha grabs a hold of her again.

"Come on, Inuyasha! This is getting too serious! She's going to get hurt!" Kagome says in a worry filled voice. Inuyasha sighs as he points toward the two of them. When Kagome looks, her eyes widen. "What the…Sesshomaru is actually…." Kagome begins, but stops when she's unable to complete her sentence.

"Smiling." Inuyasha says, nodding. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo look toward Sesshomaru in surprise.

"He really….is!" Shippo says, eyes wide.

"I've finally found you." Sesshomaru says, looking down at Rei's pinned form underneath him. She looks up at him in confusion.

"What are you talking about? Who are you?" Rei questions, looking at Sesshomaru like he had lost his mind.

"I'm Sesshomaru." Sesshomaru says, looking down at her.

"Would you please get off me now?" Rei asks, looking at Sesshomaru's body currently pinning her to the tree.

"Sorry, but I know you too well." Sesshomaru says, shaking his head. Rei looks at him in confusion.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Rei demands, pushing against him in an attempt to removing him from touching her. Sesshomaru looks down at her with a smile.

"Rei Dano." Sesshomaru says, looking down at her. They both hear a collective gasp from nearby, but ignore it.

"How do you….know my name…" Rei says, looking in Sesshomaru's eyes.

"Guess you don't remember. Makes sense after they wiped your memory over 300 years ago." Sesshomaru says, nodding in understanding. Rei's eyes widen.

"There is no way in hell I'm that old!" Rei shouts, looking up at him, completely flabbergasted.

"Actually, you're 450 years old." Sesshomaru says with a shrug as though it's completely natural for people to get that old.

"Um…your nuts." Rei says, her left eye twitching. Sesshomaru shakes his head.

"Actually, I'm perfectly sane." Sesshomaru says, smiling. Yet another collective gasp comes from the others.

"What in the world is wrong with the five of you?" Rei demands, pushing Sesshomaru off her, and getting to her feet. They all watch as Sesshomaru flies back about ten feet, landing on his ass.

"Um…Rei…" Kagome whispers. Rei looks at her in confusion.

"What is it?" Rei asks, looking at her friend.

"You really shouldn't have done that. Um…Sesshomaru isn't really the most understanding man around." Kagome says, watching something behind Rei with worry. Rei sighs as she looks over her shoulder when two arms wrap around her waist.

"What do you think you're doing?" Rei demands, glaring up at Sesshomaru.

"I'm slightly irritated right now." Sesshomaru says in a strained voice. Rei looks up at him with confusion.

"And I care about that because….why?" Rei demands, pulling out of Sesshomaru's grip. She turns away from him. She walks around ten feet away from him, and stops. "Shall we finish this?" Rei questions, taking a defensive position. Sesshomaru looks at her with an amused look.

"Haven't I already won?" Sesshomaru asks, leaning on his sword, which is embedded a few inches into the ground.

"No way!" Rei says, playing with a strand of her hair.

"I seem to think I have. After all, I did get you underneath me." Sesshomaru says with a grin. Rei merely shrugs.

"That didn't last very long, did it?" Rei asks, grinning mischievously at Sesshomaru, who grins hugely.

"Fine. You shall have your fight." Sesshomaru says, standing up straight and pulling his sword out of the ground. Rei grins as she returns to her defensive position.

Meanwhile, Kagome's watching the two's bickering with wide eyes.

"She shouldn't be doing this!" Kagome says, going to take a step forward. Inuyasha grabs a hold of her hand, and pulls her toward the hut. "What are you doing, Inuyasha!" Kagome demands. He motions toward the two.

"They're…that is…Sesshomaru is…um…" Inuyasha begins, stuttering as he tries to explain. Kagome looks at Sango and Miroku when Miroku speaks up.

"They're participating in a mate challenge." Miroku says in a worried voice. Kagome's eyes widen.

"A WHAT!" Kagome demands, turning to look at Inuyasha.

"A Mate Challenge is when the female challenges the male to a fight in order to see if he can beat her. If he can, the male is almost guaranteed to earn the female as a mate…" Inuyasha mutters, looking away from Kagome. She glares at him.

"So you're telling me that my best friend challenged Sesshomaru to see if he would make a good mate for her?" Kagome questions. Miroku and Sango look at each other.

"It's more likely that she's going on instinct. I mean, you said that she's been alone ever since she was little…" Sango says, shaking her head. Kagome glances outside, only to quickly look away when she sees Rei beaten up and bloody.

"Then the fight shouldn't count!" Kagome shouts, going to run to the door. She glares at Inuyasha when he steps in front of it. "Get out of my way, Inuyasha!" Kagome shouts.

"You can't go out there, Kagome." Inuyasha says, shaking his head. Kagome looks at him with hurt eyes.

"She's my friend, Inuyasha." Kagome whispers, collapsing to the ground.

"But if you go out there, there's a good chance that you won't survive." Sango says, sitting down next to Kagome, who looks up at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asks in a quiet voice. Sango smiles sadly.

"During the Mate Challenge, the only things that the two of them see is each other. It's a way to eliminate all distractions and make it a fair fight." Sango says, looking toward the window.

"The only thing we can do is stay in here, and pray that she wins." Miroku says, collapsing against the door, and sighs.

Two hours pass, and Rei's almost at her breaking point. She's leaning over, breathing hard as she shakes from exhaustion.

"Are you giving up?" Sesshomaru questions, standing above her. She growls as she straightens back up, and runs at him. She raises her sword to strike him, but just before she brings it down, she falls toward the ground, at her limit. "Looks like I win." Sesshomaru says as he catches her, and picks her up bridal style. He turns when he hears people run out of the hut nearby. "Ah, little brother." Sesshomaru says in a disgusted voice. Inuyasha glares at him.

"Rei!" Kagome shouts, running toward her, only to stop when Sesshomaru growls at her. She takes a few steps back.

"What the fuck is your problem, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha shouts as he steps in front of Kagome.

"You will stay away from my mate." Sesshomaru says in a dangerous voice. Inuyasha looks at him in confusion.

"But she isn't your mate yet! She has to accept you first." Inuyasha says in a surprised voice.

"Stupid little brother." Sesshomaru says as he turns around, and flies away, carrying Rei.


	6. Possessive Males

Rei slowly wakes up. When she tries to move, she finds her body held in place with a steel grip. She glances upward to see a familiar face.

"What the hell!" Rei shouts, pushing against Sesshomaru's chest in an attempt to get him to release her. He opens one of his eyes, and looks at her with a tired expression.

"Morning." He says, running his free hand down her face.

"Dammit! Let me go, you bastard!" Rei shouts, pushing even more forcefully against his chest. He looks at her with an amused expression.

"Do you honestly think you can get out of my hold?" Sesshomaru questions. Rei glares at him.

"I don't give a damn! Just let me GO!" Rei shouts. Sesshomaru sighs. With one quick movement, he has Rei pinned underneath him.

"And what if I say no?" Sesshomaru questions. Rei glares up at him with a hateful expression.

"Then it's your funeral!" Rei says as she brings her hand up, and digs her nails into Sesshomaru's arm. Sesshomaru merely looks at her with a questioning look.

"And what is it that you think you're doing?" Sesshomaru demands. Rei glares at him for a moment before releasing his arm, and glancing at the ground. "That's better." He says. Rei looks down at the ground.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" A frog looking thing says, walking up to the tree.

"What is it?" Sesshomaru demands.

"Rin has disappeared." The frog says, scratching the back of his head. Sesshomaru looks down at him with hateful eyes.

"And what were you doing?" Sesshomaru demands. The frog looks at the ground with uncomfortable eyes. "I thought so." Sesshomaru says as he grabs a hold of Rei's arm, and jumps out of the tree. They land on the ground, and Rei stumbles slightly at the impact.

"Who is this woman?" The frog demands. Sesshomaru looks at him with angry eyes.

"Hi. I'm Rei." Rei says, pushing past Sesshomaru. She kneels so she's face to face with the frog.

"I am Jaken, lord Sesshomaru's disciple." The frog says, looking at Rei with intrigued eyes. An anime vein appears on the side of Sesshomaru's head as he watches Jaken blush. Rei stands up, smiling. She glances over her shoulder in surprise when an arm wraps around her waist. She sighs as she sees Sesshomaru.

_Wait! What the hell is wrong with me!*_ Rei demands as she pulls out of Sesshomaru's hold. She turns to look at him, only to have him pin her against a nearby tree.

"You are very stubborn." Sesshomaru says with a grin plastered across his face.

"So? I don't generally like men to begin with." Rei says, looking into Sesshomaru's eyes. She flinches when she sees them turn glossy with some kind of emotion.

"Well. I suppose we should deal with the issue at hand." Sesshomaru says as he turns away from Rei. He looks at Jaken. "Where did you last see her?" He demands.

"Over by the flower patch." Jaken says after a moment of silence. Rei looks at them for a moment before she slowly backs up. After backing up for nearly twenty feet, she spins around to run, only to slam into something. She looks upward, only to see Sesshomaru.

"And where do you think you're going?" Sesshomaru demands. Rei's eyes widen.

"No where…it's just that you looked busy, so I thought I'd take a small trip to…err…the pond." Rei says, quickly coming up with an excuse. Sesshomaru chuckles.

"So you did, did you?" Sesshomaru questions as he leans down, and places his nose in the crook of her neck.

"Err….yes." Rei says through her clouded mind.

"Well, there will be no need for you to do that. For you see, there is no pond around here." Sesshomaru says as he spins her around, and pulls her back against his chest.

_*Shit!&_ Rei mentally shouts as she tries to pull out of Sesshomaru's hold.

"Well, I must have been mistaken then. I thought I heard water." Rei says. Sesshomaru merely grips her stomach tighter.

"Yes, you must have been." Sesshomaru says. He picks her up, and carries her toward the familiar tree. When they get there, he takes a strange rope like thing. He ties one end to her wrist, and the other to a branch of the tree before walking away. She looks at him in surprise.

"What the hell!" Rei shouts, looking after him with wide eyes.

"If a demon comes along, I assume you can climb the tree?" Sesshomaru questions, not even bothering to look at her. She scoffs.

"Of course I can climb! That's so not the point!" Rei shouts. Sesshomaru disappears suddenly. "Get back here and UNTIE me, you BASTARD!" Rei shouts after him. She sighs as she collapses to the ground. She curls up in a ball, hugging her knees, and closes her eyes.

_*I swear I'm going to kill that bastard as soon as he gets back here.*_ Rei pledges as she slowly falls asleep.

A few hours pass, when something wakes Rei up. Her eyes widen as she jumps up in the tree.

"Hey, girly! There's no reason for you to hide!" A male voice says from the ground. Rei glares toward the voice.

"Just who the fuck are you?" Rei demands. The guy chuckles.

"My name is Uesi." The guy says, chuckling. He stops when he hears a growling. He turns to see a very pissed off dog. "What the hell!" He shouts as he practically falls over himself in his desperate attempt to get away. The dog growls louder, showing his fangs. Uesi runs faster.

"You know, if you want to scare someone, you could always do so as a man." Rei says as she leans up against the tree trunk on the branch she's sitting on. She sighs when she hears the growl. "Damn men and their possessive nature." She looks down at Sesshomaru. "And you're probably the worst I've seen so far." She says in a quiet voice. She closes her eyes, and sighs when she feels the branch move slightly as Sesshomaru jumps onto it.

"Who was that?" Sesshomaru demands as he pins her to the tree trunk. She yelps as her eyes open, and she looks at him.

"That hurts." Rei says, glaring at him. He bares his teeth at her.

"Answer the question." He demands. Rei merely sighs as she brings her hand up, and digs her nails into Sesshomaru's arm. He growls.

"THAT, as you so nicely put it, was a human." Rei says in an offhanded voice. Sesshomaru glares down at her. "I don't know him…well, he told me his name was Uesi, but that's it." She says, glaring up at Sesshomaru when he doesn't loosen his grip. "Do you mind?" She demands.

"Mine." Sesshomaru says as he brings his teeth down on her neck. He bites down, causing her to arch her back.

"Damn….bastard!" Rei shouts as she's suddenly flipped onto her stomach. Sesshomaru leans his chest onto her back as he bites down on her neck. She growls as he enters her. "Let…GO!" Rei shouts, only to have Sesshomaru ignore her.

After a while, he releases her, only to have her scratch him across the face. She glares at him.

"What the fuck!" Rei shouts, pulling away from him. He merely watches her.

"You are my mate." Sesshomaru says in a stern voice. Rei looks up at him in confusion.

"What the hell does that have to do with RAPING me!" Rei demands. Sesshomaru looks at her for a moment before she jumps out of the tree. He watches as she curls up on the ground.

"LORD SESSHOMARU!" A child's voice shouts, running toward the tree. Rei looks up when someone lands next to her, and sneers when she sees Sesshomaru standing there.

"We'll talk later." Sesshomaru says in a no questioning voice. Rei rolls her eyes before laying her head back on her knees.

"Who's….this?" A child's voice asks, poking Rei in the arm. Sesshomaru sighs.

"This is Rei. She'll be traveling with us from now on." Sesshomaru says in a soft voice. The girl looks at Sesshomaru in surprise.

"Is she mortal?" The girl asks. Jaken walks up to her, and shakes his staff at her.

"Rin! You should not ask such things." Jaken says, shaking his head. Rin looks at him with puffed out cheeks.

"Why not, master Jaken?" Rin demands, looking at Jaken with defiant eyes.

"She is a demon." Sesshomaru says in an offhanded voice as he picks Rei up. Rin looks up at him with a smile.

"Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru." Rin says, smiling cutely. Sesshomaru merely walks down the road with the two of them following him, and Rei still in his arms.

That night, Rei wakes up to someone's complaining voice.

"What do you mean, I can't go pick flowers anymore?" A child's voice demands. Rei opens her eyes slowly to see a young girl with black hair glaring at the frog.

"So you're awake." A sleepy male voice says from above her. She glances up to see Sesshomaru holding her.

"What the hell are you doing." Rei demands, glaring up at him. He looks down at her with questioning eyes.

"What do you mean?" Sesshomaru questions.

"Why are you touching me?" Rei demands. Sesshomaru smiles.

"Because otherwise you'll start having nightmares again." Sesshomaru says, looking at her with a questioning look. She closes her eyes as she remember just what she had been dreaming about.

"Ah. Now I remember." Rei says in a quiet voice. Suddenly, a child's face is right in front of her. "What the hell!" Rei shouts as she pushes back, falling out of Sesshomaru's lap as she does.

"She's awake! She's finally awake!" Jaken shouts as he runs in circles. Sesshomaru glares at him, causing him to freeze. "Sorry, mi'lord." Jaken says.

"Just what's so special about her!" Rin demands. Rei looks at the child with cold eyes, causing Rin to back up. "GAH! She's going to kill me!" Rin shouts, covering her face. Rei stands up, shaking her head before waking in a random direction.


	7. In Heat

"Where do you think you're going?" Sesshomaru demands, not even bothering to get up from his spot on the ground as he watches Rei walk away from the camp.

"I'm leaving to find myself something to eat." Rei says in an emotionless voice as she walks in a random direction. Sesshomaru sighs.

"You will return by morning, or I shall come looking for you." Sesshomaru says, only to receive a growl from her.

"Fuck off, you bastard." Rei says as she crouches down, only to spring forward, and into the tree. She doesn't even look back at him before running off into the woods. After an hour or so of running, she hears something cry out. When she goes to investigate, she finds a wounded two tailed black cat with red markings on its feet and tails while it has a red double crescent moon on its forehead. She quickly picks it up and treats its wounds before transforming into her dog form. She runs off in an attempt to find a water source.

Meanwhile, Kagome and friends are putting away their stuff from camp when they hear something running through the forest next to them. Instantly, Inuyasha and Miroku step in-between the girls and the forest.

"What was that?" Kagome asks, looking over Inuyasha's shoulder. She gasps when she sees a dog demon jump out of the trees. They all look behind the dog when they hear something growling.

"What the hell!" Inuyasha shouts as he sees a familiar dog demon walk out of one of the bushes. He instantly pushes Kagome further behind him when he sees the feral look on the dog's face. "Stay there, Kagome." He commands as he takes a step forward, only to stop when the smaller dog demon turns, and attacks the bigger one. Inuyasha watches in amazement as the smaller dog demon bites into the bigger's shoulder.

"What are they doing?" Miroku asks from next to Inuyasha, who looks at the with a sigh.

"That's Sesshomaru. And I'm guessing the other one is Rei." Inuyasha says with a sigh as he carefully sidesteps a tree that had been knocked down by the two fighting dog demons.

"But why would Rei be attacking Sesshomaru? I thought they were mated." Miroku says, confusion evident on both his face and in his voice. Inuyasha sighs while rubbing the back of his head.

"Well, since the two of them never actually chose each other, there was always a chance that Rei wouldn't agree. Well, at least Rei didn't chose. There's a good chance that Sesshomaru knew what he was doing when he challenged her." Inuyasha says, grabbing Kagome before jumping out of the way just when Rei is pushed about ten feet away from Sesshomaru, landing directly where they had been standing.

"So you're saying that she's unstable?" Miroku questions, his eyes going wide. Inuyasha sighs before shrugging his shoulders.

"Who knows. Otherwise, they could just be having a lover's quirl." Inuyasha says with a smirk on his face at the prospect of Sesshomaru finally getting his ass kicked. However slim chance that was.

After about an hour of fighting, Sesshomaru's standing above Rei, who's lowered onto her stomach, growling up at him. In one swift motion, Sesshomaru brings his head down, and bites her on the neck. Inuyasha's eyes widen when he realizes just what's going on.

"Alrighty! We need to get out of here….NOW!" Inuyasha says, picking Kagome up before carrying her as far away as fast as he can before she could see what's happening. Once they stop, he puts Kagome down, only to have her turn to him with an angry look on her face.

"What the hell, Inuyasha! Why did you take off like that?" Kagome questions, looking at Inuyasha with narrowed eyes. He looks at her for a moment before deciding he might as well tell her.

"Rei must have gone into heat last night. I knew I had been smelling something off in the wind, I just thought it was a human pet that had entered their season." Inuyasha says, trying his best to explain it with as little words as he can. Kagome looks at him for a moment in confusion before turning when she hears someone talking behind her.

"So that's why she was she ruthless in her attacks." Miroku says in understanding. Kagome looks at him with irritation before shaking her head.

"Would someone PLEASE explain this to me?" Kagome demands, only to look up when she feels arms wrap around her.

"Basically, it means that Rei is in her time of being able to carry children. If Sesshomaru is successful tonight, Rei will be having a child in…" Sango says before turning to Inuyasha. "How long are demons pregnant for? Is it the same amount of time as humans?" she asks, Inuyasha sighs before collapsing onto the ground.

"Not exactly. Most demons carry children for exactly ten months before birthing them into the world. However," Inuyasha looks up at them. "Dog demons are a little different. They are much like regular wolves in that regard. Dog demons carry their pups for three months before they dig a den. They spend the remaining month in the den, preparing it for when the pups arrive, well the female does. The male isn't able to get within ten feet of the den until the pups are around ten years old." Inuyasha smiles slightly. "That's why you don't see as many females as you do males. They spend most of their lives taking care of young." Inuyasha says with a sigh as he lowers his head onto his knees. "It's a touchy time for both mates and they can be very unpredictable." He says. Kagome stands there with her eyes wide.

"You mean Rei is going to be gone for the next eleven years? What the hell is she supposed to do to be around people?" Kagome questions. All three of the remaining others in the group look at her with an 'are you stupid' look. "What?" she questions.

"Rei's most likely not going to let anyone around her pups until she's sure they're able to take care of themselves. That means she will attack anyone that gets too close to them." Miroku says in a snappish voice, only to flinch when he feels Sango slam her fist into the back of his head. She walks over to Kagome before kneeling down next to her.

"There's something you must understand, Kagome." Sango says as she wipes the tears that had started to gather around Kagome's eyes at the prospect of not being able to see her friend again.

"What is it?" Kagome asks in a broken voice.

"The odds of Rei not surviving the pregnancy is extremely high. She's young, and hot tempered." Sango begins, only to be stopped by Inuyasha.

"Female dog demons must remain calm throughout their pregnancy. That, and she probably won't be in human form for long after the first month. Her human body just won't be able to put up with the strain that this is going to put on her." Inuyasha says with a sad sigh at the thought of how sad Kagome would be if her best friend was to die during this pregnancy. "Sesshomaru should have known better than to breed her at this age. She shouldn't even have a mate yet." Inuyasha says with a sigh.


End file.
